10 things I learned making turmeric lattes

I went looking for anti-inflammatory help in the spice rack.

Also known as turmeric tea, a turmeric latte can be made with any type of milk or even water.
(Photo: Jules/flickr)

I've read that turmeric has natural anti-inflammatory properties, and I'm hoping the spice may help speed up healing on a foot issue I've had for a while. (The pad is inflamed due to an injury to my arch a few months ago. The doctor said the swelling should go away on its own eventually, and he offered to give me a cortisone injection to help with the ache while the foot is healing, but I don't want to take steroids.)

I've heard about turmeric lattes, so I decided to try my hand at making one at home.

I'm in day three of drinking turmeric lattes, and while I haven't noticed any difference in my pain yet, I like the drink. Since turmeric has so many amazing health benefits, it's definitely worth continuing the habit for a while.

After trying a few recipes, and even coming up with one of my own, I settled on following the recipe on the Wellness Mama blog. I like the taste and I like that it adds ginger to the latte. Ginger also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Here are a few things I learned while experimenting with turmeric lattes:

1. Ground turmeric as a spice tastes like dirty mint to me.

2. Turmeric lattes can also be referred to as turmeric tea or golden tea.

3. These drinks can be made with milk or water. Many of the milk recipes call for soy or nut milk, but cow's milk works, too.

4. A little pinch of black pepper is supposed to help with absorption of turmeric, so while it may seem an odd addition to this drink, it's there for a purpose.

Using a stick blender will make your drink smooth and frothy. (Photo: NADKI/Shutterstock)

5. You must use a blender to mix together your liquid and spices before you heat them up or the spices will become goopy and chunky; they won't incorporate into the liquid. A stick blender is ideal because you can blend right in the pot before heating up the latte, but a regular blender works well, too. You just have an additional appliance to wash.

6. After you heat up the latte, running the stick blender through it again will make it a little frothy, like a latte.

7. The sweetener is necessary, at least for me. I tried the latte without, and I did not enjoy it at all. I added a little extra honey to mine.

8. You can make an iced turmeric latte if the weather is too warm for a hot beverage.

9. Some people add grass-fed butter or coconut oil to their tea for the added benefits of healthy fats.

10. If you try to add cocoa to the mix, know that the brown of the chocolate and the marigold of the turmeric mix together to make an unpleasant green color. If you happen to spill that mix on your stovetop, it will look like someone threw up on the stove. (I discovered this before I realize a blender needed to be used so not only was it puke green, it was also chunky.)